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Autumn serves as a warning of the impending bitter cold and blankets of snow in store for Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area residents. While you are winterizing your wardrobe, home, and car, be sure to keep your residential landscaping on the list. Fall marks an important time for lawns. As the weather cools, it is prime time to prevent damage of the coming season and prepare for the growth potential Spring will offer. Preparing the ground for new grass, tree trimming, and sprinkler blowouts are key to a successful Spring. October to November is the ideal time to winterize your lawn.

Ground Preparation

Autumn is an important time to pull pesky weeds. Some weeds are resilient and will steal water and nutrients from grass to survive. If weeds aren’t pulled, you may have a lawn full of them next season!
Grass should be cut a half inch below summer length for its final cut. This will help prevent the weight of frost, snow, and feet from breaking the blades and encourage healthy grass to grow. If you can avoid walking on your frozen grass, this will also help prevent breakage once winter hits.
Fall is the best time to lay fertilizer, just before aerating your lawn. Aerating It helps to repair the grass from the damage of summer and promote growth in snowmelt, while protecting grass from harsh winter weather. Laying fertilizer prior to aerating helps to get oxygen and nutrients to the foundation of the grass bed.
Not only does raking up excess debris make your lawn look more aesthetically pleasing, it also allows for water and nutrients to reach the ground that needs it. When Autumn leaves are left on the ground, they form a layer of decay that can suffocate the grass below.

Tree Care

Annual tree trimming can help a tree live a long, strong life. Pruning overgrown branches can help ensure the snow doesn’t weigh down a weakened limb until they break, falling on the lawn below. Another advantage of tree care is less leaf debris to rake up!

Sprinkler Care

One of the most important lawn maintenance is the irrigation system. Sprinkler blowouts are critical before the first snowfall to ensure pipes don’t freeze and burst. Not only is this unnecessary, costly damage, it can lead to flooding in the Spring. Don’t worry about if your grass is getting enough water, once it is cool enough for dew and frost to accumulate, it will water the lawn naturally.

If you have invested the time and money into your residential landscaping, it is worth it to winterize and preserve it. This way you can ensure next summer is just as beautiful as this one was. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, now is the time to start spending your weekends winterizing your life. If you don’t have a green thumb, landscaping companies, such as Oak Tree Landscaping of Howard County, provides extensive landscaping services to keep your lawn looking stunning when the snow melts. Serving the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area for over 25 years, their residential landscaping professionals are experts at growing and protecting lawns. Contact us now to see how we can help you prepare for the season.